ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 11. Kazakhstan is expanding geological and geophysical exploration across its territory under a presidential directive, Deputy Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharkhan said at a government meeting, Trend reports.
According to Sharkhan, around 2 million square kilometers have already been studied, with plans to increase coverage to 2.2 million square kilometers. "This approach will enable early identification of promising areas and improve the efficiency of geological exploration. Between 2026 and 2028, 100,000 square kilometers will be studied, followed by 30,000 annually," he noted.
To accelerate progress, new geological survey standards have been approved, and 240 million tenge ($457,775) has been allocated from government reserves for the development of 20 design and estimate projects.
Sharkhan also reported on the ongoing digitalization of Kazakhstan’s geological data. More than 66,000 geological reports are now available on the Unified Subsoil Use Platform, while the digitization of primary geological information continues.
"As of today, over 73% of primary geological data has been digitized. By the end of the year, this figure will reach 97%, and full digitization will be completed in 2026," the deputy minister added.